SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) - The Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative, a third party transportation management services partnership for shipment of military freight, went 'live' today with operations in Puget Sound, Wash.

Today's "go-live" activities mark the first time government shippers are using DTCI to ship freight and marks the beginning of the first of three phases aimed at managing Department of Defense freight movements in the continental United States.

"The DTCI is a dream-come-true for government shippers," said Pat Kuntz, implementation manager for DTCI. "We are experiencing the next step in the evolution of transportation management - improving reliability, predictability and efficiencies in the movement of DOD freight within CONUS."

Phase I includes the Defense Logistics Agency CONUS Defense Distribution Centers. In addition to Puget Sound, DTCI operations will soon begin at the distribution centers in San Diego and Corpus Christi, Texas.

Phase II will start before the completion of Phase I and will incorporate activities within close proximity of the DDCs, selected aerial ports and other DOD shippers.

Phase III will include other scheduled DOD activities.

DTCI uses Electronic Data Interface transactions to process shipment requests, confirm outbound shipping details, and then provide shipping status to include pick-up, delays in route and delivery notification. Even the billing procedures are fully automated and allow for integration of commercial and government systems.

DTCI is a team effort according to Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, commander, U.S. Transportation Command. "It enables the Department of Defense - just like 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies - to use a third party logistics company to secure on-time, cross-platform and cost-effective advantages."

DTCI is a USTRANSCOM Distribution Process Owner initiative for the DOD. It is a third party logistics freight management program designed to improve the reliability, predictability and efficiency of DOD materiel moving within CONUS by reducing cycle times and improving predictability through the use of more dedicated truck schedules, cross-docking operations, better mode selection and load optimization.

Certain categories of freight will be excluded from DTCI, such as sensitive and/or classified shipments, arms, ammunition and explosives, bulk and missile fuels, household goods and privately owned vehicles.

Menlo Worldwide Government Services, LLC of San Mateo, Calif., was awarded the DTCI contract last August.

_______________________________
To receive USTRANSCOM News Service releases and articles by email, simply send an email to join-ustcns@mercury.afnews.af.mil. There is no need to fill in the subject or message block.

To receive The DPO Update (a one page, bi-weekly, newsletter with information for DPO stakeholders) simply send a blank email to join-dpoupdate@mercury.afnews.af.mil. There is no need to fill in the subject or message block.